Monday, August 20, 2012

LES BICHES (French) (1968)

Just like most of French New Wave
auteurs, it’s not content but form and the individual style that matters in
Chabrol’s cinema. This erotic and sensuous ‘Menage a trois’ is slow and moody
psychological study of its two alter ego bourgeoisie dames. It’s a chance
meeting on Paris
bridge that brought the instinctual relations between two dames- a rich bitch
Frederique and a street artist with queer name Why. The rich one took her to
her lavish home and they are happy enjoying each other’s company. Conflict
occur with the entry of a man named Paul who dated and slept with Why. Frederique
tried to spy them and the very next morning she went to see Paul. The chemistry keeps playing shifting sexual tension between the trio for the rest of the film.

I just love the way Chabrol
portrays his characters with certain kind of enigma and moody charm while maintaining
slow brooding internal conflict and he did justice in most of his films. He
photographed it like a sensuous ethereal poetry without showing any explicit
nudity even though the subject is too demanding. Jealousy and obsession play
its tune amid sensuous tension between almost all of five characters, including
those two annoying idiotic men doing all sorts of morbid and irritating act to
molest the beautiful new comer Why. But primarily it’s focused between the
rivalry of two dames played with aplomb chemistry by Chabrol’s real and reel
life muse Stephane Audran and extremely beautiful Jaqueline Sassard.. Young and
dashing Jean Louis Trintignant serves as catalyst here. I just love Audran in
Chabrol films, she’s what Anna Karina to Godard’s cinema.

There are many memorable scenes I
can’t wipe out easily even after finishing the film. Especially that poker game
scene or the brilliant scene where the trio is in intoxication, the man is
narrating a tale about wisdom seeker, the record is playing same operatic music
and they started embracing one another…we immediately sense the brooding
instinctive tension leading towards tragedy in the climax.

About Me

Born in 1977 and professionally lecturer,I love to explore life in all its intricacies around me. Reading-imagining-thinking, watching/analysing films, listening music are more than passion- obsession and compulsion for me to survive like air, water and food. Only like minded ones can understand some of my lunatic passion while reading this blog.I also love to meet people, hanging out different places, observe people while trying to adjust the struggling identities of being animal and human.